'True hero' personal trainer rushed in to tackle Southport knifeman and rescue children

30 July 2024, 14:42

A personal trainer has been hailed as a "true hero" after rushing in to tackle the Southport knifeman and rescue children.

Joel Verite, 25, showed "nothing but fearlessness" in responding to the attack that has killed three girls and left ten more people injured, his colleague said.

Mr Verite helped subdue the killer along with police officers, and also helped carry wounded girls away from the scene of the attack at a Taylor Swift themed dance class.

Kyle Shaw of the Level Up gym said: "He’s been a true hero shown nothing but fearlessness and in that second reacted in the best way we could hope for."

Mr Shaw told the Mirror: "I think he’s truly displayed how much of a fantastic person he is, within that split second he’s decided what he’s going to do."

"I sent him a message to say I hope he was ok, he said on Instagram he was a little bit overwhelmed. He said it was a traumatic experience.

Read more: First victim of Southport stabbing attack named as 9-year-old Alice Aguiar, as family pays tribute

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"He was one of the first on the scene. He went in with the police and helped to detain the man and then helped to carry a child out.

"I don’t even have words for it, what a hero to pick the kids up and carry them out. He took himself to a different place and did what he had to do."

Mr Verite was driving on Hart Street, where the attack took place, when he saw a woman on the floor and went to help her.

She told him "forget about me, there’s a fella stabbing kids in there," according to the co-owner of the gym, Danny Noble.

"He went in and the fella was in there with a knife or whatever he had," Mr Noble added.

"It was just Joel and just one other police officer. Another police officer turned up and the three of them went in and tackled him to the ground.

"Apparently one of the police officers Tasered the man and then they just all jumped on him."

It comes after one of the children who died after the attack was named as Alice Aguiar, aged 9. She died on Tuesday.

A relative paid tribute, writing: "Princess Alice. In this moment of great pain my soul hurts, my body hurts, my mind hurts.

Two other girls, aged 6 and 7, died on Monday.

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.\

Officers have not determined a motive for the attack, but said yesterday that they do not believe it was terror-related.